The electrical energy generation and distribution networks in the United States are currently stressed to the limit by peak demands during daytime hours. Quite expectedly, the demands of the industrial sector, commercial and residential air conditioning and water heating are highest during the daytime hours. During the off peak, late evening and night time hours, the opposite is true, and there normally is excess electrical power available which is not needed in the local power grid.
Using nationwide transmission power lines, the power generation and distribution grid is used to transfer excess power to other grids that require it. This is a form of load leveling that is aimed at maintaining the coal, oil or nuclear power generation plants at a level, constant, load. The problem with such a load leveling scheme is that costs are high, due to the costs of transmission and line losses inherent in cross-country transmission to other power grids.
Further, coal fired electric generating plants in the United States emit carbon dioxide and other pollutants to the atmosphere in proportion to peak electric daytime demands. The peak daytime demands determine the amount of excess off peak evening power that must be transported (again, by costly high voltage power transmission lines), to a far away electric grid that can use the power for their peak power shortage needs, or other use.
It would be advantageous to provide a system that enables local off-peak utilization of the excess power from the local grid, thus reducing costs associated with peak production, pollution associated with that peak production, and also reducing costs associated with transmission of excess power over long distances.